Catholic schools welcome return to classroom learning

Story update Aug. 12: Education Minister Rob Fleming has now said most students will start school Sept. 10, two days later than originally planned.

Catholic school administrators and teachers may be facing a lot of homework this summer after B.C. Education Minister Rob Fleming announced all schools will open for in-class learning, with under new COVID-19 guidelines, this Sept. 8.

Lesya Balsevich, associate superintendent for the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese, said she welcomes the move to bring students back to class. “I am encouraged,” she told The B.C. Catholic. “I think they are putting kids and their needs first.”

But with teachers and school administrators on holidays this summer, Balsevich said working out the details is going to be a challenging task. “We have 47 schools and 47 principals and a leadership team, and we all have to get our heads around this,” she said.

“Each school needs to look at physical layout, schedules, come up with alternate plans, and be thoughtful about this.”

Fleming announced schools will have to create “learning cohorts,” or groups of students, teachers, assistants, and others who will only interact with each other in the classroom, on the playground, and in the gymnasium.

The ministry has set limits on the sizes of cohorts – 60 people for elementary schools, and 120 for high schools – with the idea that limiting interactions means less mingling, less potential for virus transmission, and easier contact tracing. 

In a worst-case scenario, said Dr. Bonnie Henry at a press conference, if a student came down with COVID-19 at school, only those in their learning cohort would have to self-isolate, saving the entire school from a shut down.

But that’s far easier said than done, said Lesya Balsevich.

While some schools like St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary in Abbotsford use a semester system, most other CISVA elementary and high schools run on year-round scheduling. That could make creating schedules and bell times that keep people of different learning cohorts from bumping into each other between classes extremely challenging. In some cases, it could lead to a rethink of the entire system.

“Each of our schools need to look at their reality and see what is possible,” said Balsevich.

The ministry has also promised to send $45.6 million to B.C. school districts and independent schools for increased cleaning of high-contact surfaces, more hand washing stations, masks, and other measures for the start of the school year.

Of that funding, $3.1 million is allocated for independent schools, which is welcome news for Shawn Chisholm, executive director of the Federation of Independent School Associations of B.C.

“That’s targetted funding for supplies, for additional cleaning, for computers. We’re very pleased with that.”

He said while many independent schools face a logistical challenge in preparing learning cohorts and adjusting schedules, they have one natural advantage over other schools: they tend to be smaller.

“Independent schools are by their nature more nimble ... I think the size is really the factor that will make this adjustment a lot easier for our independent schools.”

Chisholm has been taking part in provincial government return-to-school planning and said at the table with officials, “there’s a recognition that independent schools did an exceptional job” responding to government directives in the spring when classes were suspended, then partially reopened.

The ministry has given schools until Aug. 21 to finalize their restart plans and submit them for review. By Aug. 26, final versions of those plans should be communicated to parents.

So far, Fleming has deemed masks not mandatory in class but recommended for situations where students can’t keep physical distances, such as school buses or hallways. All students are expected to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms daily (by answering a questionnaire) before entering a school. 

Sports tournaments, assemblies, and other large gatherings are all suspended.

The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation criticized the government’s July 29 announcement, saying the restart plan “misses the mark on several critical components” and needs more work, including “more authentic consultation and collaboration” between school districts and unions.

The BCTF is asking for smaller class sizes to ensure students keep physical distances, testing of health and safety measures before staff and students return to school, and more time in September for teachers to prepare for the changes.

Schools in Ontario are also looking at a cohort system this fall and the government is making masks mandatory for students in Grades 4 to 12.